Pope Francis Laid to Rest

Hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered in and around Vatican City to bid farewell to Pope Francis Saturday, almost a week after the 88-year-old pontiff passed away following a stroke and subsequent heart failure. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Francis will be laid to rest in a tomb in Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major. See photos here.

In the coming weeks, the secretive process to select the next pope, known as a conclave, will begin. Francis’ successor must secure a two-thirds majority of 135 voting-eligible cardinals—of whom he appointed 108 during his tenure. Observers say the race is wide-open with no clear front-runner.

Francis was the 266th pope to lead the Catholic Church—not counting about 30 to 40 antipopes—and was the first Jesuit, a Catholic religious order focused on education and social service work. 

See a history of the longest and shortest conclaves, including the 1268 election that lasted for nearly three years, here.